To Escape
by Ashten Knight
Summary: Sequal to To Survive. When something goes wrong on the flight back to earth Diana, Ripley and Hicks find themselves on Fury 161 facing a new kind of Alien. And the local inhabitants aren't that pleasant either. who will live and who will die?
1. Chapter 1

Okiedokie. This is my sequal to To Survive YAY few of you asked for something like this but I made one anyway cause I got bored! This story shall be done in chapter format seeing as I'm to lazy to write out everything at once again. Thank you for your time I do ever so much hope you'll enjoy...and if you don't oh well.

_Screeches echoed through the halls, screams of dying victims following. Diana and Newt huddled together in an air-vent hiding until the slaughter was over. Scratching sounded at the front entrance. Diana pushed Newt behind her and shouldered her rifle. The young girl whimpered. "shh newt." The scratching stopped and Diana edged forward quietly making her way to the small hole. Peering inside Diana let out a sigh, it was nothing. Suddenly an eight legged creature leapt out wrapping itself around Diana's face. She let out gargled screams until…_

Diana awoke with a scream, and rolled off the cold metal table and onto the floor. She huddled herself in a corner muffling a pained whimper. "Well you certainly didn't wake like the others." Diana looked at the man whom had spoken. "Who are you? And where the hell am I?" The man eyed her for a moment before tossing her the sheet. "Cover yourself. My name is Clemens. I'm the Medical Officer here on Fury 161." Diana wrapped the sheet around herself. "Great, I'm on one of Weyland-Yutani's backwater work prisons. Where are the others?" Clemens sighed and shook his head as he walked to a cabinet and began pulling out clothes. "The woman Ripley and the man Hicks are here…the little girl didn't make it and the android was smashed beyond repair." Diana's chest tightened and it became hard to breath. "Newt…" Tears ran down her face and she almost fell back to the floor but two arms wrapped around her. "I'm sorry Diana…" Diana looked up at the man who'd caught her. "God Hicks why? She was so young…" Hicks picked Diana up and sat on the metal table rocking her slightly. "Was she your daughter?" The grief stricken woman looked up at the doctor. "Yes, I adopted her after her mother died." The doctor nodded to himself. "I am terribly sorry…There is a bathroom over there and here are some clothes. I'll be outside waiting."

Diana looked up at Hicks. "How long was I out?" He looked down at her and then up at the wall. "You were out a good two days longer than Ripley and I. We were beginning to get worried." Diana looked up at him and caressed his face. "I'm sorry." Hicks smiled. "It's alright…Common let's get you dressed." Diana shakily stood and dropped the sheet. All the wounds she had received on LV-426 had healed, but many left scars like she had feared. "You are still beautiful Diana." Hicks pulled her against him and kissed her softly. "How did she die Dwayne?" Diana pulled away and began dressing. "She drowned in her cryotube Dr. Clemens doesn't think that she was aware of it." Diana nodded, sniffling as she pulled on the last of her ensemble. "Can we get something to eat?" Hicks smiled and nodded. "Common."

Together they walked down the dimly lit hallways to the mess hall. "You're limping." Diana nodded. "I know, I don't think my hip healed right, it feels…off." Hicks nodded slightly. "We'll have Clemens look at it later." The aburn haired woman shook her head. "It's only going to raise questions. I'll be fine." The pair stepped into the mess hall and the room went quiet. "So there's the other one..." Hicks placed a possessive hand on the small of her back and lead her to the buffet. "Oh my god! Real food!" Hicks smiled. "It's only cornbread and soup lady." Diana looked up at the black man who'd spoken. "Well compared to what I had been eating before this is a gift from god!" Diana picked up her tray and walked over to said man. "Diana they really don't like..." Diana brushed off Hicks' warning and sat down. "Hey I'm Diana." The men ignored her and Diana chuckled and began eating. "Sorry to dissapoint you but I'm not leaving anytime soon. Get used to it. I don't want to be here as much as you don't want me here." One man looked at her a dark look on his face. "Dillon. Murderer. Rapist of wemon." Diana cracked a smile and brushed her hair out of her face. "Nice to meet you Dillon." Hicks put a hand on her thigh and squeezed. "You've been crying. Was the girl yours?" A wave of grief washed over the lone woman and she closed her eyes forcing back tears. "Yes." Dillon looked her over. "A little young aren't you?" Diana forced a small smile. "I adopted her after her mother...died." Diana picked up her tray no longer hungry and walked out leaving Hicks to follow.

Diana stopped in the middle of the hallway and wrapped her arms around his stomach and started to cry. "I'm sorry Dwayne I didn't mean to be..." "Shh Diana, its okay I understand." Diana shook her head. "It's not okay, Newt didn't deserve to die!" Running steps were heard down the hall as Ripley appeared. "There was an alien on the ship." Hicks stiffened and pulled away Diana still holding his arm. "What?" Ripley panted a little. "There was an alien on board with us. It's here." Diana squeezed Hicks' arm. "We have to warn them." Ripley stepped towards Diana. "Diana...You should know something...it was in Newt's capsule." Diana's legs gave out. "Oh god no. Is her body here." Ripley nodded. "It's on ice." Hicks knelt next to her. "Diana we can check there's a posiblity that it didn't get in." Diana shook her head. "It's a fool's hope"

"Dr. Clemens I need your help." The doctor looked up from the medical report he had been reading. "What can I help you three with?" Diana took a deep breath. "I need you to do an autopsy on Newt." Clemens looked more than a little surprised. "Why?" Ripley stepped in. "A possible contingent." Clemens' eyes narrowed slightly. "What kind of contingent." Diana shook her head. "A deadly one now please this is in public interest so unless you feel like dying please hurry." Clemens hesitated. "Does this have anything to do with the burn marks that have been found?" The trio stiffened. Diana leaned against Hicks. "Maybe…."

Newt's body lay on a metal table, from her waist down was covered in a white sheet. Clemens looked expectantly at Diana and Ripley. "The cause of death was drowning." Ripley shook her head. "Open her chest." When the doctor began making the cut Diana hid her face in Hicks chest tears leaking from her eyes. His arms wrapped around her and tightened when Clemens began sawing at the child's sternum. With the crack of ribs breaking it was over. "We have nothing unusual. Everything in place. No sign of disease. No sign of any contagion.-Lungs flooded with fluid - ergo, she drowned." Diana sniffed and turned. "Thank you." Clemens rolled his eyes. "Now, since I'm not entirely stupid, do you want to tell me what you're really looking for?" Hicks sighed and was about to answer when a door smashed open, the Superintendent Andrews and his assistant, Aaron, clattering down the stairs to the scene of the autopsy. "Mr. Clemens." Andrews acknowledged. Clemens looked up . "Superintendent. I don't believe you've met Corporal Diana." The superintendent brushed off the introduction. "What's going on, Mr. Clemens?" Aaron like an echo repeated his superior. "Right sir, what's going on Mr. Clemens?" Diana rolled her eyes already disliking the pair. Clemens readily answered probably used to it from the number of years he had served in the prison. "First, Corporal Diana is feeling much better, as well as Lieutenant Ripley and Corporal Hicks. I'm happy to say. Second, in the interests of public health, I'm conducting an autopsy." Andrews started getting red in the face. "Without my authority?" Clemens remained calm under the scrutiny of the larger man. "There didn't seem to be time, but it's all turned out all right, the body shows no signs of contagion." Andrews nodded slightly but was still fuming. "Good. But it might be helpful if Corporal Diana and Lt. Ripley didn't parade around in front of the prisoners, as I am told they have in the last hour. It might also be helpful if you kept me informed as to any change in their physical status. Or would that be asking too much?" Ripley stepped forward unfazed by the man's rant. "We have to cremate the body." Andrews huffed out a breath. "Nonsense. We'll keep the body on ice until a rescue team arrives." Aaron chuckled slightly then looked to his superior. "Cremate—that's a good one, sir." Hicks spoke up looking at Clemens. "There is the public health issue…" Clemens looked like he wanted to sight. "The corporals feel that there is the possibility of a communicable infection." Andrews stared at Clemens. "I thought you said there was no sign of disease." Clemens nodded slightly. "It would appear that the child drowned, though without the proper laboratory tests its impossible to be absolutely certain- but I think it would be unwise to tolerate even the possibility of an unwanted virus. An out break of…cholera would look very bad on your report, wouldn't it?"

The unhappy superintendent turned toward the trio. "We have twenty-five prisoners in the facility. All double Y chromos, all thieve, rapists, murderers, forgers, child molesters…all scum…but scum that have taken on religion. I, for one, don't think that makes them any less dangerous. So I try not to offend their convictions. I don't want to disturb the order. I don't want ripples in the water. And I don't want women walking around giving them ideas." Diana was too emotionally exausted to argue so she just nodded and leaned against Hicks. Ripley rolled her eyes slightly though. "Yes. Obviously for our own personal safety." Andrews nodded. "Exactly." They locked eyes for a moment before Andrews turned back to Clemens. "I will leave the details of the cremation to you, Mr. Clemens." With that the duo left leaving behind the autopsy.

Diana's legs almost gave out again but Hicks picked her up. "You need your rest." He carried her up to the infirmary and laid her down in one of the beds. Diana grabbed the back of his shirt. "Please don't leave me." Hicks nodded and crawled in beside her and together they fell asleep. Mumbling quiet 'I love yous'.

R&R please. - Ashten


	2. Chapter 2

**I own nothing but Diana. and any other oc I might throw in for the hell of it. Enjoy. OH and THANKS NOXIN its not a great chapter but its a chapter all the same. **

Newt's body was to be cremated in the fire pits, two prisoners held her small body wrapped in a canvas bag, ready to be thrown into the fire. Ripley, Diana, Hicks, Clemens and a few other prisoners stood on a catwalk watching. The Superinendent stepped forward and opened a book and began to read. "We commit this child to your keeping, O lord. Their bodies have been taken from the shadow of our nights. They have been released from all darkness and pain…" Diana held on to Hicks' arm tightly as tears once again ran down her cheeks. Air ducts slid open and huge fans forced air into the chamber making the methane flames raise higher. "The child has gone beyond our world. They are forever eternal and everlasting…ashes to ashes, dust to dust."

Diana sniffed loudly as Dillon shouldered his way through the other prisoners and stared out into the flames. "Why are the innocent punished? Why the sacrifice? Why the pain?" Andrews looked over at Dillon who had taken over the service. "There aren't any promises. Nothing's certain. Only some get called. Some get saved." Diana bit her lip to stop herself from sobbing remembering the promises that she had made to Newt, promises that she could not keep. "She won't ever know the hardship and grief for those of us left behind. We commit this body to the void with a glad heart…" The two prisoners threw newts body into the furnace and Diana watched as it disappeared. "Within each seed there's the promise of a flower. And within each death, no matter how small, there's always a new life. A new beginning." Diana turned into Hicks' chest and sobbed freely as his arms wrapped around her. "Shhh, Diana its okay she's in a better place."

The hall were Diana and Hicks sat was dark and unoccupied giving them an eerie feeling of peace. Diana's eyes were red and puffy from crying, while Hicks' face showed a few tear streaks of his own. Diana sniffled and chuckled a little. "I remember when Newt won the spelling bee…" Hicks looked over at her and smiled slightly. "She had been so nervous about being on stage; we could see her shaking even in the back row." Diana looked out at the complex. "I thought she was going to rattle to pieces." Hicks smiled and pulled Diana against his chest. "She was a brave kid…a lot like you." Diana smiled and shook her head. "Newt constantly nagged at me for not being feminine enough. She used so say that all my weapons weren't necessary until…" Diana shifted her position as her hip throbbed. "We should have Dr. Clemens look at your hip." Diana shook her head. "I'm fine it's just a little stiff. I'm sure I can do something to make it feel better…" Hicks arched an eyebrow and smirked. "Really, and what would that be?" Diana smiled and turned in his arms before kissing him.

"I love you Dwayne."

"I love you too Diana."

Their mouths connected once more and Hicks' arms pulled Diana closer pinning her against his marine hardened body. Diana encircled Hicks neck with her arms and kissed him harder pressing her lush body against his. "I think its time we finish what we started in the shower Dwayne." She whispered huskily in Hicks' ear. The sound of someone clearing their throat brought the couple back down to Earth or well whatever hell they were currently in. Diana turned her head to look at Ripley. "Hey Rip. What's up?" Diana asked trying to hide her blush from being found in such a state. "Dr. Clemens would like to examine your hip again." Diana groaned and pouted like a child. "But I don't wanna go. He creeps me out." Dwayne smirked a little. "I'm going to go talk to the warden and see how long it will take us to get out of this shit hole." Diana hesitantly nodded and with Ripley's help stood. Dwayne gave Diana a chaste kiss before walking off, leaving Ripley and Diana standing awkwardly in the hall. "I'm surprised you're doing so well."

Diana grimaced at Ripley's off handed comment, tears welling up in her eyes once more. "I can't focus on it Rip. If I do I feel like I'll never recover from it. I'll mourn here properly when we're off this planet. But not here, it's not safe." Ripley's brow furrowed as the pair began walking, well Ripley walked Diana hobbled along on her crutches. "What do you mean?" Diana looked around nervously. "I feel like something is about to go horribly wrong here."

When they arrived at the hospital wing Diana sat down on the bed that was furthest from the door and any other hole or ventilation. "How are you feeling?" Clemens asked upon seeing the pale and quivering woman. Diana shook her head, she felt like shit. Depression was a cloud over her head and she was dizzy and nauseous and just wanted to be alone. "Woozy, emotional, tired." Clemens hmmed and wandered over to a cabinet and picked up a needle and a bottle of liquid. "oh joy happy drugs." Diana murmered as she lay down on the bed. Clemens put his hand on her head and sighed, she had a slight fever. "I'm going to have you on bed rest here. You are to move around as little as possible. You are putting to much of a strain on your body and if you're not careful you will get horribly ill." Diana scoffed. "I'm not a child." Clemens smiled a little. "But you're young enough to be my daughter, so you are still one in my eyes." Diana frowned and fought the urge to stick out her tongue. Ripley chuckled a little and Diana closed her eyes as Clemens lifted her arm to inject her with his special concoction. A voice came over the intercom then calling Clemens to go see something about an accident. Diana turned her head to look at Ripley her eyes wide.

Ripley just shook her head with her eyes closed. "Well I best be off then. I'll be back to check on you soon. Try not to run off." Diana gave him a small smile. "I don't think I'm capable of running at the moment. Although I do a good hobble." And on that note Clemens left, giving Ripley a longing stare.

"I think he likes you." Ripley arched an eyebrow at Diana who just giggled. "Wow what did he give me? I feel, flitty." Ripley snorted a laugh and sat in the chair next to Diana's bed. "Rip. I know you don't think it's anything serious. But I can't shake the feeling that I have one of those creatures breathing down my neck." Ripley could see the fear in Diana's eyes and grabbed the younger woman's hand. "It'll be alright. The transport will be here soon with any luck and we'll be out of here safe and sound." Diana forced a nod and closed her eyes. "I'm gonna try to get some sleep okay?" Ripley smiled. "Okay, I'll keep watch over you." Diana felt childish but the fear was very real. It took her a while to calm down enough to go to sleep, but when she did it was deep and dreamless.

AN/: well its been a while and for that I am sorry. But my muse ran away. luckily i done caughted me a new one. this one be lockeded up in a cage =p so unless it learns to pick the lock we're good. RR my friends RR.


	3. Chapter 3

**Of all the short chapters in this world this is the shortiest. but its need so blah. I might even add yet ANOTHER chapter today as I am on a roll ^^ Btw I no owny you no suey =p**

When Diana woke up in the empty hospital wing and immediately began to panic. Screams echoed in her head as memories of LV-426 made themselves known again. Diana fell to the floor and scrambled into a corner making herself as small as possible as she rocked back and forth. Tears streaked down her face and she clamped her hands over her ears trying to silence the ever increasing volume of the screams. Her eyes were screwed shut trying to force the images of her family and friends being captured, slaughtered and melted from her mind. She didn't notice Dwayne enter, nor did she see the look of utter panic in his eyes when he noticed she wasn't on the table, or even the look of pity when he took in the sight of her trembling form in the corner weeping for those lost.

"Diana." He said her name softly but it was enough to pierce the sounds of the screams. Her head snapped up, tears still streaming down her face. "Dwayne." She whimpered as he knelt before her, his arms wrapped around her and Diana sobbed into his chest. "Everyone is gone. She's gone Dwayne." The marine wrapped adjusted his hold on Diana and picked her up, cradling her to his chest as he lay down on one of the hard hospital beds. Dwayne didn't know what to say to make the pain go away. The same pain that he felt festering in his own heart; he'd lost his team, his friends, his brothers in combat and the little girl that had squirmed her way into his heart. He was feeling as empty as Diana.

Ripley walked in and sat down in a chair twisting in it slightly. Diana turned her head on Dwayne's chest so she could look at the older woman. "What are the odds that it drowned and was washed out of the EEV?" Ripley shook thought about it for a moment and shook her head. "Possible, but with our luck I would doubt it." Diana nodded mumbling about breaking a mirror once and it catching up with her.

"Dwayne?" His eyes were closed but he humed at her. "Did you find out how long it will be before we're rescued?" His eyes slowly opened and she saw regret shining in them. "No, and I don't think it will be anytime soon." Ripley broke out into a coughing fit and Diana arched up looking at her with concern. "You okay Rip?" She nodded and rubbed her throat. "Yeah just a sore throat." Diana hesitantly nodded and laid back down on Dwayne. "You should get some rest." Diana mumbled as her own eyes closed. This time there was no drug to keep her from being haunted by her memories twisted into nightmares where she was impregnated with an alien and felt it burst its way out of her chest.

**AN/ see its a REALLY short chapter. I was just looking at one of the reject scripts for this movie and almost deleted everything to start from scratch but I got lazy so this one will run as is with minor plot changes as i haven't seen the movie in over a year and am to lazy to actually look up the final draft of the script so if its messed up and screweded up oh well i like messing it up. **


	4. Chapter 4

**I still don't own you still won't sue. Well fell asleep typing this last night. Its longer than the last chapter but still not as long as I'd like it to be. but you should be happy. Three chapterlikethings in two days. yay! Special thanks to NOXIN for making me feel like writing again. You should read Noxin's Aliens fic cause its good and maybe if it gets more hits + reviews(from someone other than me) it will get updated more =p**

There are many things in which Diana wouldn't mind being woken up to, but waking up to a man screaming about a dragon is not one of them. "The dragon did it! It wasn't me! Slaughtered 'em like pigs. Feeds on flesh. Why do I get blamed for everything? Nobody can stop it!"

Ripley who'd been sitting by Diana's bed stood and listened to what was being said while slowly inching closer to the sheet of plastic that divided the beds.

"What about Boggs and Rains?" Diana recognized the voice as Dillon, then man who'd spoken at Newts…funeral, and sat up slowly to try and hear better.

"I didn't do it. They just got slaughtered. It wasn't me." Diana couldn't place the voice but it didn't matter because Andrews spoke next, and his voice was recognizable by his utter distaste for everyone around him. "Golic is stark raving mad. I'm not saying it was anyone's fault, but he should have been chained up."

"You called it, sir. Mad as a fuckin' hatter." Diana rolled her eyes at Aaron, he couldn't see her and for that she was glad. She didn't want to deal with questions from the resident brow nose at the moment she just wanted to know about the 'dragon'.

"Keep him separated from the rest, I don't want him causing panic. Clemens, sedate this poor idiot."

Diana looked at Ripley. "We need to talk to him about the dragon. It could be one of them…" Ripley nodded and moved towards the plastic while Dillon defended Golic. "Not until we know about the brothers…Now pull yourself together, man, talk to me. Where are the brothers?"

"I didn't do it!" was his only reply

Andrews sighed in annoyance. "Hopeless. You're not to get anything out of him…We'll have to send out a search team. I'm afraid we have to assume that there is a very good chance this simple bastard has murdered them."

"You don't know that. He's never lied to me. He's crazy. He's a fool. But he's not a liar." Dillon snapped. Ripley pulled aside the plastic rather dramatically making her presence known. All eyes were on her for a moment while she took in Golic's form. Diana rose from her bed and hobbled over. "Listen Mr. Andrews. There's a good chance he's telling the truth, we just need to talk to him about this, this dragon-"

Andrews really didn't seem to like his authority being 'challenged' by two women. "You and the Lieutenant are not talking to anyone. I am not interested in your opinions because you are not in full possession of the facts. This man is a convicted multiple murderer." He geastured to Golic. "Known for particularly brutal and ghastly crimes-"

"I didn't do it!" Golic shouted.

Andrews continued as if the man had done nothing. "Isn't that right, Mr. Dillon?" Dillon looked down angrily. "Yeah that part is right."

Ripley just stayed focused on Andrews. "I need to talk to you. It's important." Dwayne walked in then and took in what was going on. "When I have finished with my official duties I'll be quite pleased to have a little chat. Yes? And bring Corporal Hicks with you as well."

Dwayne cast Diana a questioning glance and she shook her head. While Clemens gently touched Diana's shoulder. "You should be resting. At least sit so you don't aggravate your hip further." Diana nodded and took the offered chair sighing in frustration over the events.

Diana looked at Golic and Golic looked at Diana. "You're pretty." Diana smiled. "Thank you. You're not too bad looking yourself." Even though he was still covered in gore Diana tried to humor him. "You believe me don't you? I didn't kill them." She couldn't help but nod. "I've seen the dragons before…they are terrifying." He stared at her for a minute. "Is that where you got your scars from?" Diana tensed how did he know about the scars? "I saw them when we were taking you out of the ship." Diana nodded. "Yeah, we think that there might have been one on there with us. And if what you say is true. Then we're all going to die."

It should have concerned her how she said that with almost no emotion at all, but then her voice was just as empty as she felt. At this point death, even at the hands of such a monster, was welcome. "You shouldn't wish for death. I can see it in your eyes. I've seen it pretty pairs of eyes before." Diana almost shuttered, he was a murder he probably saw it in the eyes of his victims. "You have that man to live for. He loves you, I can see that too….How did you meet?"

Diana smiled a little bit. "He saved me from the dragons." Clemens who'd walked with Ripley, Dwayne and the others to Andrews' office entered and looked at the sullen pair. "You should get some sleep Diana." Diana bristled. "I've had enough sleep and rest Dr. Clemens. I'm pissed off, sore and nervous as all hell." He gave her a why? Look and Diana shook her head. "I want to go for a walk." She went to stand but Clemens pushed her back down. "I'm sorry to say that Andrews has given strict instructions to keep you, Lieutenant Ripley and Corporal Hicks confined to the Infirmary until your pick up arrives. I have been given permission to sedate you if needed, please don't make me."

Diana for some ridiculous reason felt a stab of betrayal and hobbled over to the furthermost cot and sat down, drawing her knees up to her chin. She thought about picking up the pillow and throwing it at Clemens and screaming but decided against it feeling that it would be too childish. Tears of frustration and hopelessness threatened to fall but Diana held them in check. She tucked the pillow behind her back and leaned against the wall hoping that the transport would arrive before all hell broke loose.


	5. Chapter 5

**Here we go with another chapter. YAY another chapter. I am quite pleased with myself and the character developments that I have been making. A big thanks to Noxin and singeylove for their continued support. I still don't own Aliens or any product of theirs if i did i probably wouldn't be writing fanfictions...anywho stumbling right along enjoy. R&R**

Ripley and Dwayne came back to the Infermery pissed off. Diana, who had been humming to herself trying to keep the madness that would come with her memories at bay, looked up at them hopefully. "Please tell me we're getting out of here soon." Dwayne shook his head. "The only way out of this hell hole is a supply ship that comes every six months." Diana's face lost any traces of hope as Dwayne kicked a wayward trash can out of frustration.

Clemens looked at the trio for a moment before noting that Ripley was rubbing her throat. "They are sending someone to pick you up and investigate this whole mess. Quite soon, I gather." Ripley looked at the doctor and dropped her hand from her throat. "Really? What's soon?" Clemens ever the animated just peered at her. "I don't know. No one's ever been in a hurry to get here before. Do you want to tell me what you told Andrews? And what she was saying about having seen the 'dragons' before?"

Diana looked sheepish as Dwayne sat next to her. "You told him?" He asked, whispering in her ear as he traced her jaw. He could see that the memories from LV 426 were bearing down on her, more so than they were to Ripley or himself, threatening to send Diana into madness. He drew her into his arms and held her close, wishing that he could somehow make the demons of their past die. "I couldn't help but to tell Golic…He's not insane, there's one of them here Dwayne. I don't think we're going to get off this planet alive."

Dwayne nodded to himself and sat against the wall gently, as if she might break, pulling Diana into his lap. "I swear I'll keep you safe Diana." She turned in his arms and buried her face in his chest. "But you can't stop my mind from tearing itself apart. I have nightmares when I sleep, and the memories haunt me during the day. I should have died back there, but I didn't and I'm responsible for almost three-hundred lost lives."

Dwayne lifted her face so he could look her in the eye. "You are not responsible for their deaths Diana. Burke sent them out there, knowing what was waiting for them, he and every other damn member of the company is responsible for their deaths not you. Diana shivered and snuggled into the warmth of Dwayne's arms. "You chase away the madness." She mumbled clinging to his shirt like he was an anchor holding keeping her to reality.

"Dwayne?"

"Yeah?"

"Tell me something nice about your childhood." He sighed and seemed to contemplate the request for a moment. "When I was ten I used to play by the ancient railroad tracks out in the woods behind my house. I was told not to because it was dangerous, but being told that just made it more tempting to play on them. One day I was pretending to be an adventurer and slipped and fell on one of the rusted iron bars. A piece of the metal chipped off into my palm. It wasn't bad, really, but I got scared with the blood that was beginning to well up and ran home crying. I didn't even feel it until my mom pulled it out. She must have spent half an hour going on about how she told me not to play near the tracks because they were dangerous and wanted to know why I did it anyway." He chuckled and Diana smiled. "What did your father think?"

"He didn't, he had died the year prior leaving my mom to raise me." Diana nodded solemnly. "What did she think about you joining the marines?" Dwayne smiled. "She didn't like it, but she understood. I wanted to serve, and it made me feel closer to my father. She lost him to the Marines and probably thinks that she's lost me too." Diana sat up in his lap and hugged him. "I'm sorry." She felt so selfish, so focused on her pain that she failed to notice his, or even Ripley's. Diana felt like a bitch, with new resolve she pushed at the memories shoving them into the darkest corner of her mind and focused on the man before her. "I love you, and if nothing else Dwayne we have each other."

A light thump distracted the pair making them turn their heads and watch as an alien rose from a crouch to its full height, which was around eight feet. Just like all the other's they had seen it was Big, black and had a shiny smooth head. It moved toward Ripley who'd already seen it but tried to cry out, but no sound emerged from her throat. It moved right up behind Clemens, who should have sensed it at least but didn't, and tore his head off. Ripley couldn't scream and neither could Diana, she just kicked the bed out and dragged Dwayne under it with her. The alien was literally on top of Ripley, pushing its head against hers, hissing and drooling. Un willing to watch her friend die Diana picked up the nearest object and threw it at the alien, a small can pinging off its hide. The monster turned and Diana would have accused it of glaring had it not had eyes, before it looked back at Ripley and then pulled itself back up into the overhead airshaft from whens it came and disappeared, Clemens body in tow.

Diana pulled away from Dwayne, who had his arms securely wrapped around her, and promptly emptied the contents of her stomach. Ripley was by her side in a second. "Are you okay Diana?" The 'red' head nodded and wiped her mouth with a cleanish looking towel. "We've got to warn the others, it could be on them in a second."

With that horrifying thought the trio made a mad dash down the hallways, running to where they hoped all the prisoners would be gathered, the cafeteria. Diana tried to keep up she really did, but her hip didn't heal right and nothing short of surgery would fix it. Dwayne noticing her lagging behind ran over to her and helped support her weight. Together they burst through the doors. "It's here! It got Clemens!" Ripley yelled, chest heaving and out of breath.

Andrews looked at the trio, irritation clear on his features. "Stop this raving at once! Stop it!" Diana hobbled forward, a look of discomfort and rage on her face. "We're telling you, its here!" Andrews own anger grew, these three 'civilians' had turned his perfectly running prison upside down. "I'm telling you, get control of yourselves! Mr. Aaron, get these two foolish women under control at once. And get all three of them to the infirmary!" Dwayne stepped protectively in front of Diana as Aaron moved forward. The lights dimmed and Diana gripped the back of Dwayne's shirt and pulled him out from under one of the air ducts.

There was a slight bang from the duct above Andrews, confused he looked up only to be grabbed by the alien and was pulled kicking and screaming into the duct. A splatter of blood later all was silent. Dwayne, who had a hand on Diana's stomach pushing her back and away from any openings, listened closely as the creature made its retreat with yet another victim.

AN/ oooogy goreness lol see yall next time =p


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